It
isn’t all that glamorous about the life of an expatriate in Dubai. We try to meet
ends on a daily basis. For a single woman like me, as much as I can, I send my
money back home. It is up to my mother if she will spend my hard earned money
or not. But, what really made me realized big things was when I met an accident
last Sunday, May 3, 2015.
I am
working in Business Bay. I prepare myself to leave the office when the clock
strikes at 5:45pm. I usually take the bus when going to the metro at 6. Yesterday, I met an accident. It was around
6:20pm at Al Abraj Street while waiting for a bus that would take me to the
metro when a gray car hit me on my back causing myself to be thrown on the
sand. I was on the phone with my colleague when it happened. I told him I got
hit by a car outside of our office building. I was blacked out for merely 5
seconds and I didn’t know what to do. I
stood up but I felt pain on my back that’s why I ought to kneel down. A
Pakistani guy, who considers himself as a Local because according to him he was
born and raised in the UAE, went out of his car and started to speak Arabic
which I couldn’t understand. All I understood was WALLAH. It means swear. Maybe
he was telling his friend that time that he didn’t see me. I was furious
because of what he did. He asked me if I need ambulance. I told him to call
one. He then did but then his friend told him to take me to the hospital
instead of waiting for an ambulance.
An
old Indian woman came up to me and asked me if I would like to stand up because
she could see I am in pain. Due to my being restless and already tensed, I told
her that I don’t need to stand up. At that instance, I called my friend to tell
her that I got hit by a car and asked her if she could accompany me along with
the two guys. I decided to stand up all by myself amidst the back pain I am
experiencing. The two guys went inside the car already. I told myself not to
ride the car unless they open the door for me. A few seconds has passed and the
friend of the Pakistani guy opened the door for me.
As
we were on the way to pick up my friend who was waiting for me in the metro, I
thought of one thing. I felt pain on my chest. I know it isn’t because of the
impact of the accident but because when it happened 10 or more Filipino
Kabayans saw what happened and neither one of them came to me and asked me if I
am alright or extended their helping hands. I always say in my social media
accounts that I am proud to be a Filipino. But, where is the proudness in
there? I was teary eyed because I know, as a nurse and as a human being, if I
see a fellow Filipino on her knees and feeling helpless, I will definitely
without any second thoughts extend help. Sorry for being frank but I could say
that those fellow Filipinos who just looked at me yesterday when I know I
needed their helping hands the most are a total “MGA NGA NGA at WALANG PAKI”. I
know they are educated but they don’t have that passion of extending help to
those who are in need. In reality, there are some who are passionate enough to
be of help to others. There are also who are not and personally all those
kabayans who just looked at me were a total mess in regards with their human
values. I will not further speak bad against them but you should know where
this is coming from.
I am
grateful for that old Indian lady who came up to me and asked me if I need
help. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being the person you are. Thank
you for being nice and kind to me although I never expected at first that other
nationality will help me and show me compassion. I promise myself to look for
you starting tomorrow although I didn’t recognize your face properly but they
say when you need something, you will get it. And I need to extend my gratitude
to you. So help me God in finding you to extend my gratitude. Thank you so
much!
We
went to a hospital in Dubai and reported the matter to the police and for a
medical check up just to be completely sure that all is well with me. According
to my medical report, all is fine and nothing to be worried about. When I felt
the urge to urinate, I asked my friend to accompany me to the washroom. I peed
and somewhat the pain on my back has subsided.
What
I didn’t like the most was how the Pakistani guy treated me. He thinks I am an
uneducated person who would just give in to what he will say. Sorry mister but
you are barking on the wrong tree. I am a transparent person. I speak what I
think. Every time he tries to cut me off during a conversation, I didn't allow him to do so and I told him to listen to me if he wants me to listen to him. We were like Mayweather and Pacquiao in the hospital. I could say he is
definitely ARROGANT. I kept telling him that. I even have a video copy of our
heated conversation while waiting for me to be seen by the doctor. There goes
my being a “researcher”. Yes, ethically or unethically, I did take a video of
the conversation. Included in the video is a heated conversation between my
friend and I and the two guys. He said he will just give us his mobile number
and he will leave because he was in a rush. We told them to finalize all of
this and we will all leave together. It’s not like he just hit a street dog and
leave them in a veterinary clinic and if anything happens, he’s just a phone
call away. Well, even in reality, if I was put in that situation, I wouldn’t
leave a poor dog and ran off from my responsibility. The bottom line is I am his responsibility.
Hours passed and still a lot of arguments and word war’s happening. I am a self
confessed “maldita” and I speak what’s on my mind. I don’t care who he is. He
was telling me he was born and raised in the UAE and he told me he isn’t a
Pakistani and he’s a Local. I don’t want to dwell on that, really. It is his
statement.
The
doctor told me to take the medical report along with the police report to
Burdubai Police Station. I told the Pakistani guy also about that one. At that
instance, the tone of his voice changed. He wasn’t raising his voice anymore.
He is speaking calmly and he was smiling and bringing in jokes to me.
My
friend and I sat at the back of his car. We were talking about him while we
were on the way to the police. I told my friend I will not file or open a case
against him. I just want him to learn a lesson from all of these. As we were on
our way to the police, I asked him to head directly to the parking lot instead
of dropping us off in the entrance of the police.
I
went out of his car and sat in the passenger seat in front. I told him I don’t
have any plans to open a case against him. I just want him to learn something.
It is his responsibility to take me to the hospital, to see to it that I am
fine and take me home where I should be at the first place. I even told him to
take his car for a carwash because that’s one reason why he didn’t see me on
the rear view mirror – his rear window glass was so dirty that I myself couldn’t
see anything. He was just relying on his side view mirrors. I suggested him to
be more careful the next time and to be responsible in driving. WTH! He even
stepped on the brake without my friend sitting first. She was just one foot in
and he hurriedly stepped on the gas pedal. You could see how irresponsible he
is. To make it short, after all of the word war and heated arguments, we both shook hands and even if he is a stranger to me, I
felt sincerity in there. The bottom line is I told him I am not a bad person
and I don’t intend to have more problems here in Dubai. I was telling them
earlier to show compassion and be more humane in treating me not just because I
am in dire need of help but because I am a woman and a nurse. I was hurting
inside because back home, I am the one doing this for my patients. I help and
take care of others. I show empathy instead of sympathy.
It’s
not just I learned one thing. I learned a lot of things. I learned how to be
grateful because God opened up my eyes to what Dubai is and how the people are
here. It widen my perspective of what life is for. I prayed to God and thanked
Him because He was guiding me all throughout. I hope the guy also learned
something from this. I could see my sister in him because he’s of same age as her and I also have a brother. The Pakistani guy even told me that he
informed his mother and I laughed because his mother told him,“Go home
and I will teach you a lesson.” And how unfortunate of me, he told me that he
will be working in the same building where I am also working. Guess it won’t be the last time that he will see me and vice versa. That’s how
life is. Hahaha.
As
for fairness and equality, I also informed my boss and my family back home what
happened to me. As from a famous quote from the movie 3 IDIOTS, “ALL IS WELL.”
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